Mambu, Nashville

Anita, mÄmbu's owner, cast a wide net across Southeast Asian, French, and Cajun cultures to cull international influences and weave them together in inventive fusion fare. She has been a proud Nashville resident for more than two decades and has been immersed in the restaurant business since she was 17 years old. Although she spent many of those years in the kitchen, she now serves as the face of the restaurant, inviting guests into the quaint blue house that mÄmbu makes its home.

The restaurant's seasonal, imaginative entrees and small plates crafted from local produce and grain-fed beef are expertly paired with red and white varietals selected from an international wine list. The eclectic dining room includes accents such as upside-down lampshades, rich crimson curtains, and a wall decorated entirely with trinkets such as string lights and dolls that have busted out of musty curio cabinets. An expansive covered patio and the intimate Hideaway Bar also host international feasts. mÄmbu is a member of Nashville Originals, a troupe of local restaurateurs dedicated to maintaining Nashville's reputation as a creative culinary destination by increasing the visibility and viability of locally owned eateries.